Inquisitio
by TheLadyMuse
Summary: Part 4 of Keiyaku no Kazoku. Sugawara gets stabbed, and the Clans and their allies must pull together to fight an old enemy.


**Context notes:  
The series name literally (courtesy of Google) translates to 'families of the covenant'. Those people who have covenants function as normal people do, but well… you'll see. I juggled the timelines a little. The Kuroko no Basuke crew are in their third year, Yuuri just got silver in Barcelona, and Haikyuu is the baseline.**

 **If you're impatient about world building, the prequel story, Aegis, though not completed, has a handful of chapters up. I will be writing them in tandem somewhat, although Aegis is supposed to span KnB, so this might, possibly, finish first.**

The moment her brain registered what the person on the other end of the phone was telling her, Kiyoko choked down a scream.

 _Koushi._

 _Stabbed._

 _Hospital._

Her heart seemed to stop in her chest. Trembling, the teenager pulled out her phone, texting a cousin before hurrying to her motorcycle. Roaring off as fast as she was able, hurrying through the hospital, speaking with the doctor, it all blurred together until she was seated beside him, clinging to his hand and praying he'd just be okay.

Although she spent the night there, slumped over his chest, she remained alert. She hadn't phoned Daichi or the others yet, but that was okay. Koushi needed her to remain with him for now. Around dawn, the door swung open.

"Kiyoko-chan." Glancing up, she met the eyes of her cousin, Mikazuchi Suzaku. Dressed in a deep red komon, her hair bound into a knot at her nape, the other teenager was all soft words and obvious concern. At her shoulder was one of the elder members of the extended set of cousins, Katsuki Yuuri. He too, was sharply dressed in black pants, blue hip length yukata and a black haori. His own brown eyes radiated concern, and suddenly Kiyoko could relax. They were here, they would watch over Koushi while she went to inform the others at Karasuno about Koushi.

Biting her lip to stop useless tears, Kiyoko remained focused on Koushi and asked tersely

"How long can you stay? Did you-" A hand landed on her shoulder. Suzaku spoke with a gentle precision that reminded Kiyoko so much of Koushi it hurt.

"Kiyoko-chan, we brought four members of the security force, and you know the four families take care of our own." Sagging against the warmth her cousins' hand radiated, Kiyoko realized

"Wait, Viktor, Taiga-" Yuuri interrupted her to say in a steely tone

"Viktor knows better than to interfere in Keiyaku business, but he's in Russia anyway." Suzaku squeezed Kiyoko's shoulder and added

"Taiga is organizing a charity game between the Kings and the Miracles, and he was the one who told me to take as long as I needed."

Gratefully, Kiyoko accepted that her family members were here until she no longer needed them. Pressing a kiss to Koushi's forehead, she rose to prepare for the day, wary of how her news would be received.

Later that same day, once everyone gathered in the gymnasium, Kiyoko clapped her hands amidst the murmurs about Koushi being late. She faced everyone and cleared her throat before she explained

"Sugawara won't be making it to club for a while, I'm afraid." Fighting to retain her composure, Kiyoko elaborated

"He was stabbed last night while out for a run. The police have already started investigating." Shutting her eyes, Kiyoko turned away, jerking to a stop when her phone vibrated in her pocket. Drawing it out, she read the text that had come in, mind numb to the ruckus the others were making

 **Suzaku: The police want to talk to you before we move him up the Castle. Tosai is delivering a load of haori for the club members who want to visit. He also has your silver yukata.**

 **Kiyoko: Thank you. I'll be there soon. Is Tosai driving me?**

 **Suzaku: No. He's tailing Endon. Endon will take you back here in his car. Tosai will take club members in the limo.**

 **Kiyoko: Okay**

She looked up when someone asked how she knew what had happened. Tilting her head, Kiyoko replied

"I've known Sugawara a long time. I'm the first contact in his phone." Ambiguous answer that it was, they were unsatisfied, but luckily there was a knock on the gym door. Trotting easily over to it while the others were in a stupor, Kiyoko was relieved to be greeted by the grim faces of security captain Todd Endon and his second in command, Tosai Sasaki.

Endon handed her a black garment bag and said sincerely

"I'm sorry this happened, Kiyoko-hime. Koushi-san is a better man than most." Nodding, Kiyoko walked into the change room, stripping out of her uniform and hurriedly pulling the silver yukata on, tying the obi with the ease of long practice, blowing out a breath, she stuffed her clothes into the garment bag and strode back out, throwing it to Endon when he raised his hands to catch it. Ignoring Nishinoya and Tanaka's rapture about how she looked, Kiyoko nodded to Tosai, who stuffed his fingers in his mouth to wolf whistle. Turning, she commanded

"If you want to come see Sugawara- Koushi- follow him to the limo." Gesturing to Tosai before continuing

"I can't explain things here, the police want to talk to me, so Endon will take me ahead in the town car. Once we've relocated Koushi for recovery, I will answer questions." Whirling around, she stormed out, thankful when Endon made quick work of starting the car and hauling ass back to the hospital. Wishing she hadn't left, the teenager swished through the halls to Koushi's room, relieved to see they had kept him sedated. Suzaku and Yuuri were still seated on either side of Koushi, two other members of the security force standing at the wall. The detective looked frustrated at her family members' stonewalling him.

Intercession being in order, Kiyoko stepped in and asked

"What do you need to know?" The man whirled around, gaping at the picture she made, Kiyoko was certain. Deducing what he wanted to know, and knowing her family would never tell, she listed monotonously

"Yes, I'm a Mikazuchi bride, yes, he comes from one of the other families, no, I can't tell you which one, and we've had a covenant since the day I was born, no, we don't intend to dissolve it." Snapping his jaw shut, the detective said wearily

"Well, that explains why you were contacted, and motive, but the question is who." Kiyoko nodded and said coolly

"Be that as it may, I want to take Koushi home so I can take care of him." With a nod, the detective left. Suzaku rose from her chair and said nonchalantly

"I better phone Taiga." Yuuri got the hint and retreated elsewhere as well, the security force members also taking up guard positions outside the door. Silently thanking them for their kindness, Kiyoko seated herself at Koushi's hip. He looked better, she noted. A little more colour in his cheeks, the respirator had been removed, someone had placed a Mikazuchi issue quilt, hand sewn by the elder women in the family, over Koushi's chest. A carefully folded stack of fabric on the table was probably the yukata and haori he usually wore around the castle.

Knowing the club members would be here soon, and make a ruckus, Kiyoko bent her head, preparing to kiss him, when his eyes fluttered open. Drawing in a breath, Kiyoko gasped when he smiled tiredly and murmured

"Thank you. He was arguing with Yuuri and Suzaku and I just couldn't." Cursing the tears that were gathering in her eyes, Kiyoko took his mouth into a gentle kiss, the caress unfamiliar to her but necessary. Koushi needed her to be gentle while he recovered. His hand caressed the back of her neck, but when they pulled apart, he whispered ruefully

"It'll be a while before… well." Closing her eyes, Kiyoko leaned forward and pressed her forehead to his, quivering when he pulled her close. Uncaring of the implied scandal that would come with laying atop a male who was not her boyfriend in public, Kiyoko stretched out so that she was cuddled into his chest, sobbing quietly and briefly while he murmured to her.

Yes, it would be a while before they could do more than hold each other, but there had been a chance that they would never even have that. It had terrified Kiyoko, to think of Koushi, her partner, the light to her dark, closing his eyes for the final time. But she couldn't lose it in public. The club members wouldn't understand, and there was only so much to gain from restraint.

Eventually, he sat up, pulling her with him. Tucking her face against his neck, Kiyoko listened to the noise in the hallway, giggling wetly when the club members made themselves known. Koushi stifled his own snickers with a wince, before calling calmly

"Kaminari, Rakuton, let them in." Kiyoko busied herself with tucking her legs under bottom.

The shouts of "Suga-san!" "Sugawara!" and even "Suga-senpai!" halted when what they were seeing registered. Their cute manager was curled up like a cat in the lap of their sweetest member, gazing at them with flinty blue eyes before she deliberately rose to duck behind Sugawara's bare shoulder, ignoring the flinches from the club members when the bandage became clearly visible. Pulling him down so his head landed in her lap, Kiyoko ran her fingers through his hair.

The club members stared incredulously as Sugawara relaxed, closing his eyes and nestling back into Shimizu. Shimizu's soft, genuine smile, unconscious but extremely gentle caresses killed the envy bubbling in Tanaka and Nishinoya. It was a moment between long time lovers, easy and so sweet it blinded the senses.

A cough from the doorway had Kiyoko looking up. Suzaku nodded once and said warmly

"I'm glad you're alright, Koushi-kun. We're relocating to the castle once you're dressed, though." With that, the tiny dancer chivvied the volleyball players out, escorting them to the car, Kiyoko and Koushi assumed, before beginning to prepare for their exit.

 **A/N: Please email me with prompts! The address is on my profile if you'd rather not pm. All fandoms I write for (or, challenge me to enter a new one). Also, check out the fan blog on my profile, if you please.**


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